The Classical approach has produced some of the world’s greatest minds in history such as George Washington, Jane Austen, Sir Walter Scott, and Abraham Lincoln. The goal of the Classical approach is not so much as to teach facts, but to teach how to think. It is taught in three different sections known as the Trivium, where each stage of learning is tailored to each stage of child development.

Strengths

• Is designed to teach at every level of mental development

• Teaches thinking skills and verbal/written expression

• Creates self-learners

• If taught with a group or accountability (such as Classical Conversations), the parent has little grading/teaching requirements

Weaknesses

• May neglect certain areas such as mathematics if studied only in the home

• Does not stress the present-day reality of test taking

• Little prepared curriculum available for the parent

• Is very challenging for students not used to extremely vigorous study, reading, and memorizing

Resources

• Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning by Doug Wilson

• Various books by Veritas Press, Memoria Press, Mars Hill Pub. and Critical Thinking Press and Software

• Teaching the Trivium magazine
  ➤ Trivium Pursuit, RR 2 Box 169, New Boston, IL 61272

• The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Buer

Perhaps the best resource is your local Classical Conversations group, which can be found through friends, internet searches, or local homeschool publications.